Music Review: Jesse McCartney's 'All's Well'

Former teen heartthrob Jesse McCartney — best known for his boy band days in Dream Street, his solo hit "Beautiful Soul," writing "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis and an acting career on "Summerland" — is aging like a fine wine on "All's Well," his latest EP. And he's communicating that in the best way he knows how: through music. It has been a few years since McCartney last released new music. His 2021 album "New Stage" was all adult contemporary glossy pop. In the years that followed, he took time to enjoy his newlywed life with wife Katie Peterson. For his latest return, McCartney hits the ground running with racy lyrics and familiar early '00s pop sounds. Such is true on the opening track "Faux Fur," a funky, R&B song tackling similar themes to Jennifer Lopez 's 2001 hit "Love Don't Cost a Thing," detailing how the best things can't be bought. "But some things can't buy/Your heart your time/Your hand in mine," he sings in his characteristic falsetto. "No price too high/Your world is mine/I'll spend my life." Raspy rapper Yung Gravy features on the second track, "Make a Baby," a cheeky R&B-pop song all about breeding. "I want it all/It's tasty/I eat it up like pastry/In the mall/She makes me/They hate us up in Macy's," McCartney sings on the naughty chorus atop a seductive and fun pop melody. But it's not all sunshine and sexy rendezvous on "All's Well." Acoustic ballad "The Well" is an introspective rumination on emotional repression: "I leave the house and drive around/To hide what's in my head," McCartney opens the song. "'Cause I will never let you see/The troubles that I've fled." It leads to the closer "Silver Spoon," a takedown of the ultra-privileged. Doing his best '00s Justin Timberlake, McCartney sings "She was born on top of the moon/Lookin' out at the nicest view/Waking up with nothing else to do/But polishing up her silver spoon." "All's Well" is a short but sweet EP that celebrates life, love and lust. ___ AP music reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/music-reviews